Description  of  ike 
New  Quarters  of  the  School 


Description  of  the  New  Quarters 
of  the  School. 


The  site  of  the  Northwestern  University  Building  in  which 
the  new  quarters  of  the  School  of  Law  are  situated,  is  one  of 
historic  interest.  The  remodeled  Tremont  House,  a massive 
structure,  is  the  fourth  building  of  that  name  to  occupy  the  spot. 
Since  1833,  the  year  of  Chicago’s  incorporation  as  a town,  the 
caravansaries  that  were  successively  erected  here  became  the 
frequent  sojourning-place  of  the  most  famous  persons  who 
from  time  to  time  came  to  Chicago.  Here  was  begun  the  mem- 
orable debate  between  Lincoln  and  Douglas  in  1858;  here  were 
the  headquarters  of  Lincoln’s  friends  during  the  nominating  con- 
vention of  1860;  here  Douglas  lay  on  his  deathbed;  here  took 
place,  at  the  close  of  the  war,  the  soldiers’  reunion,  in  which 
Grant  and  other  distinguished  generals  participated;  and  a long 
list  might  be  made  of  other  names,  eminent  in  all  fields,  whose 
memories  will  ever  cling  to  this  central  spot  in  the  life  of  Chicago. 
Many  of  these  notable  persons  and  episodes  are  recalled  in  the 
speeches  made  on  May  23  last,  at  the  reception  to  Professor  Hurd 
— (the  report  of  which  was  printed  in  the  August  Bulletin  of 
the  School).  “It  seems  to  me,”  said  Mr.  Elbridge  Keith,  on  that 
occasion,  “that  in  no  other  spot  in  Illinois  have  there  been  so 
many  associations  with  that  which  has  made  history.  There 
could  be  no  more  inspiring  spot  where  you  could  go  to  get  stim- 
ulus for  noble  deeds  and  noble  thoughts.  You  should  have  the 
heritage  which  those  noble  spirits  here  hand  down  to  you.” 

Having  in  mind  the  interesting  associations  of  the  spot,  the 
Faculty  have  endeavored  to  equip  the  School’s  quarters  in  such  a 
way  as  to  maintain  the  dignity  and  interest  of  the  place,  and  also 
to  be  worthy  of  the  best  traditions  of  the  profession  whose  in- 
terests it  serves.  The  object  has  been  to  provide  a fitting  home 
for  legal  scholarship,  by  reviving  amidst  daily  work  the  historic 


past  of  the  School  and  of  the  profession  at  large,  and  by  embody- 
ing in  the  surroundings  all  that  could  inspire  the  student  with 
faith  in  the  achievements  of  his  predecessors  in  the  law  and  with 
resolution  for  his  own  part  of  that  great  work  in  the  future. 

The  School’s  quarters  are  entered  from  the  landing  on  the 
third  floor  in  the  northwest  angle  of  the  Building.  All  the  wood- 
trimmings  are  of  oak,  in  weather-stain;  the  wall  coloring  in  all 
the  corridors  is  yellow;  in  the  Assembly  Room,  red;  in  Booth  Hall, 
bull;  and  in  the  Library,  Hurd  Hall,  Hoyne  Hall,  and  the  remain- 
ing rooms,  green. 

Opposite  the  entrance  comes  first  the  General  Office.  Portraits 
of  the  Presidents  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  the  old  Union 
College  of  Law,  and  of  the  members  of  the  Law  Committee  of 
the  present  Trustees  of  Northwestern  University,  are  on  the  wall, 
and  suggest  the  continuity  of  the  School’s  existence  under  forty- 
four  years  of  successive  administrations.  So,  also,  in  the  Dean’s 
Office,  on  the  left,  portraits  of  the  former  Deans  of  the  School, 
beginning  with  Hon.  Henry  Booth,  bring  down  the  tradition  from 
1859.  Similarly,  in  the  Faculty  Room  (to  the  right  of  the  General 
Office,  beyond  the  Secretary’s  Office),  a collection  of  the  portraits 
of  all  the  past  and  present  members  of  the  Faculty  preserves  the 
memory  of  those  who  have  taken  part  in  the  work  of  the  School, 
and  includes  many  wTho  have  been  distinguished  in  the  local  and 
national  life  of  the  profession.  This  collection  is  still  incomplete, 
in  regard  to  many  of  the  older  generation;  but  it  is  hoped  that 
the  missing  likenesses  may  before  long  be  secured.  Over  the  fire- 
place is  appropriately  affixed  the  handsome  seal  of  the  University, 
in  colored  plastic  relief,  done  by  Mr.  F.  Parsons,  of  Boston,  for 
the  School.  The  heavy  settles,  council-table,  and  bookcases  are 
designed  to  give  an  effect  of  scholarly  dignity;  and  the  room  will 
be  an  appropriate  one  for  the  city  meetings  of  other  University 
governing  bodies  besides  the  Faculty  of  Law.  Entering  the  north 
corridor,  a bronze  bust  of  Lincoln  appears,  placed  against  the 
west  wall.  It  is  cast  after  the  model  by  Bissell,  owner  of  the 
death  mask,  and  was  presented  to  the  School  by  the  Booth 
Chapter  of  the  legal  fraternity  of  Phi  Delta  Phi.  Beneath  it,  on 


a bronze  plate,  is  the  inscription:  “In  the  old  Tremont  House 
That  formerly  stood  on  this  spot  Abraham  Lincoln,  During  his 
practice  at  the  bar,  Often  sojourned,  And  from  its  balcony  In  1858 
He  engaged  in  one  of  his  memorable  debates  With  Stephen  A. 
Douglas.  Presented  to  the  Law  School  of  the  Northwestern  Uni- 
versity by  Booth  Chapter  of  Phi  Delta  Phi.” 

Facing  east  from  the  Lincoln  bust,  one  sees,  in  two  lines  on 
either  side  of  the  corridor,  a series  of  plaster  busts,  representing 
the  lawyer-orators  of  various  ages  and  countries — Demosthenes, 
Cicero,  Burke,  Choate,  Clay,  Webster,  and  Douglas.  Others 
should,  of  course,  be  added  to  these,  to  make  the  representation 
more  complete — for  instance,  those  of  Erskine,  Gratton,  Wirt, 
Prentiss;  but  no  likenesses  of  them  in  plaster  seem  to  be  in 
existence.  This  series,  fittingly  culminating  with  the  author  of 
the  speech  at  Gettysburg,  is  intended  to  typify  for  the  aspiring 
student  the  function  of  the  lawyer  as  a persuader  of  men. 
It  complements  the  series  in  the  Library  typifying  the  lawyer  as 
a scholar  and  jurist. 

On  the  right  of  the  north  corridor  is  the  Court  Room,  fitted  in 
the  usual  manner  with  judge's  desk,  clerk's  desk,  witness-box, 
jury-box,  attorneys'  table,  and  bar.  This  room  is  known  as 
Hoyne  Hall,  after  Hon.  Thomas  Hoyne,  who  founded  the  School 
in  1859.  Over  the  desk  is  a crayon  portrait  of  the  founder, 
presented  by  his  son,  Thomas  M.  Hoyne,  Esq.,  an  alumnus  of  the 
School.  In  this  room  the  Practice  Court  holds  its  sessions;  and 
accordingly  the  walls  have  been  hung  with  a collection  of  por- 
traits representing  the  personages  of  particular  interest  to  the 
future  practitioners  at  the  local  bar.  These  include  the  judges  of 
trial  courts  in  Illinois,  past  and  present,  the  judges  of  Federal 
courts  in  Illinois,  and  distinguished  members  of  the  Illinois  bar 
in  former  generations.  This  collection  is  a unique  possession, 
and  would  have  been  impossible  to  create,  but  for  the  generous 
courtesy  of  Hon.  James  B.  Bradwell,  formerly  judge  of  the  Cook 
County  Court  and  now  editor  of  the  Chicago  Legal  News.  The 
owner  of  an  unrivaled  collection  of  photographs  of  lawyers  and 
judges,  accumulated  during  forty  years  at  the  Illinois  bar,  he 


has  had  these  reproductions  especially  made  from  his  plates  for 
presentation  to  the  School.  The  collection  of  portraits  of  the 
judges  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Illinois,  in  the  Library,  is  also  a 
part  of  the  same  gift. 

On  the  north  side  of  the  north  corridor  are  three  rooms  des- 
tined for  the  use  of  the  Legal  Aid  Bureau  (a  charitable  work  soon 
to  be  undertaken  by  the  School) ; at  present  they  are  used  for 
the  storage  and  sale  of  books.  Beyond  them  is  the  Alumni  Room, 
an  apartment  intended  to  serve  the  convenience  and  attract  the 
interest  of  visiting  alumni.  It  is  exclusively  at  their  disposal, 
and  is  fitted  with  lockers,  lavatory,  bookcases,  and  tables,  so  as  to 
afford  them  all  the  facilities  of  an  office,  while  in  Chicago,  for 
the  transaction  of  business.  The  walls  are  to  be  hung  with  por- 
traits of  the  past  and  present  officers  of  the  Alumni  Association, 
of  alumni  holding  public  office,  and  of  class  groups;  but  this 
collection  is  as  yet  incipient  only,  and  much  remains  to  be  done 
by  the  alumni  to  make  it  fairly  complete.  Beyond  this  room  is 
the  Law  Club  Room,  for  meetings  of  the  fraternities,  sessions  of 
the  club,  moot-courts,  and  the  like. 

Last  on  the  east  is  the  Assembly  Room,  a long  and  spacious 
apartment,  comfortably  fitted  for  rest,  reading,  and  conversation. 
This  apartment  is  intended  as  the  social  headquarters  of  the 
School,  a common  meeting-ground  for  professors  and  students. 
For  a city  School,  remote  from  the  surroundings  of  a college 
campus,  such  a center  of  social  life  is  indispensable.  Dedicated 
to  the  spirit  of  scholarly  fellowship,  it  will  conduce  to  that 
friendly  converse  and  intimate  understanding  which  cultivate 
college  loyalty  and  form  some  of  the  most  pleasurable  memories 
and  useful  associations  of  after  professional  life.  The  furnish- 
ings have  all  been  adopted  to  emphasize  the  fraternal  and 
professional  tradition  and  spirit.  Over  the  fireplace  is 
another  copy  of  the  University  seal,  in  colored  plastic  re- 
lief. Highbacked  settles,  at  the  east  end  of  the  room, 
framing  the  fireplace,  form  an  inglenook.  A small  library 
of  legal  biographies  and  annals,  celebrated  trials,  and  works  of 
general  reference,  is  placed  here;  and  a list  of  magazines  and 


newspapers  is  maintained  by  students’  subscription.  On  the 
north  wall  is  a bronze  relief  of  Lincoln,  the  gift  of  Mr.  Michael 
Merwin  Hart,  of  the  class  of  1904,  and  on  the  west  wall  is  a 
colored  plastic  relief  of  Washington  (done  by  Mr.  Farsons). 
Affixed  to  the  south  wall,  in  the  inglenook,  is  an  oak  shield,  bear- 
ing in  bronze  letters  the  traditional  motto  of  the  students’ 
cheer:  “Ex  delicto  Ex  contractu  This  Is  Law.”  The  walls 
bear,  also,  a varied  collection  of  pictures,  including  a num- 
ber of  interesting  cartoon-caricatures,  in  color,  of  celebrated 
English  judges,  views  of  the  English  Inns  of  Court  and  of  the 
courts  of  justice  in  England  and  various  foreign  countries,  views 
of  the  homes  of  Marshall  and  of  Webster,  and  pictures  of  other 
places  and  persons  having  an  interest  to  the  the  profession.  The 
Assembly  Room  is  to  be  known  as  Lowden  Hall,  after  Frank  O. 
Lowden,  Esq.,  the  present  President  of  the  Alumni  Association. 

The  east  corridor,  leading  south  from  the  Assembly  Room,  is 
fitted  with  two  hundred  full-length  lockers.  On  the  right  is  a 
lecture-room,  known  as  Hurd  Hall,  after  Harvey  B.  Hurd,  LL.D., 
in  April  last,  after  forty-three  years  of  service.  His  portrait 
hangs  on  the  west  wall ; and  around  the  room  are  hung  the  group- 
portraits  of  the  judges  of  the  various  State  Supreme  Courts.  At  the 
end  of  the  east  corridor  is  the  main  lecture-room,  known  as  Booth 
Hall,  after  Hon.  Henry  Booth,  first  Dean  of  the  School,  who  served 
from  1859  till  1892.  Over  the  entrance  is  his  portrait  in  crayon, 
presented  to  the  School  several  years  ago  by  the  Booth  Chapter 
of  the  fraternity  of  Phi  Delta  Phi.  Behind  the  lecture  rostrum 
is  a series  of  wall  panels,  concealing  a long  blackboard,  the 
central  ones  sliding  to  uncover  the  board  for  use.  In  front  of 
the  end  panels,  on  brackets,  are  busts  of  Socrates,  on  the  left, 
and  of  Blackstone,  on  the  right — the  former,  as  the  great  master 
of  dialectics  and  argument,  typifying  one  chief  method  of  class 
instruction,  and  the  latter,  as  the  classical  model  of  dogmatic 
exposition,  typifying  the  other  chief  method  of  instruction  by 
lectures.  Considerable  search  had  failed  to  discover  a bust  of 
Blackstone  in  this  country,  and  the  present  one  was  accordingly 
made  for  the  School  by  Miss  Alice  Cooper,  of  Chicago;  a photo- 


gravure  of  the  Blackstcne  statue  at  Oxford  and  two  engravings 
by  different  hands,  served  for  the  likeness.  Around  the  walls  of 
Booth  Hall  are  disposed  a series  of  portraits  (chiefly  engravings 
and  etchings)  of  the  most  eminent  judges  in  English  and  Ameri- 
can legal  history — Mansfield,  Eldon,  Marshall,  Story,  Kent,  and 
others.  The  English  portraits,  with  others  in  the  Library  (in- 
cluding the  work  of  such  hands  as  Bartolozzi’s),  were  selected  for 
the  School  last  winter,  on  a visit  to  London,  by  Mr.  Charles  C. 
Soule,  of  Boston,  aided  by  Mr.  William  V.  Kellen,  of  Boston,  a con- 
noisseur who  possesses  the  finest  collection  of  legal  engravings  in 
the  United  States.  The  etching  of  Henry  Wheaton,  LL.  D., 
America’s  most  distinguished  international  jurist,  was  presented 
to  the  school  by  Mr.  Kellen;  it  is  of  particular  interest,  being  an 
imprint  from  the  only  plate  in  existence,  made  by  the  donor  in 
connection  with  the  recent  celebration  at  Brown  University  of 
the  centenary  of  Wheaton’s  birth. 

Leaving  Booth  Hall  by  the  west  door,  a short  corridor,  open- 
ing on  each  side  into  study  rooms  for  students’  clubs,  leads  into 
the  Library,  which  extends  around  the  south  and  west  sides  of 
the  building.  The  bookcases  here  are  arranged  to  form  alcoves; 
in  each  alcove  is  a reading  table  fitted  with  a double  set  of  elec- 
tric-light standards.  At  one  end  of  the  west  aisle,  opposite  the 
marble  clock  (the  gift  of  Hon.  William  A.  Dyche)  is  another 
copy  of  the  University  seal,  affixed  to  the  wall  and  dominating  the 
room.  On  brackets  at  the  abutments  of  the  alcoves,  facing  into 
the  aisle,  are  placed  busts  of  Brougham,  Bacon,  Marshall,  Hamil- 
ton and  Shaw,  typifying  the  legal  scholars  and  jurists  of  our  his- 
tory. Thus  far  no  other  likenesses  to  complete  this  series  have 
been  obtainable;  but  those  of  Hale,  Bentham,  Kent,  and  a few 
others,  ought  certainly  to  be  added,  and  it  is  hoped  that  in  time 
they  will  be.  This  series  forms  a fitting  complement  to  that  of 
the  lawyer-orators  in  the  north  corridor.  On  the  walls  of  each 
alcove  above  the  bookcases,  is  continued  the  collection  of  por- 
traits of  eminent  lawyers  and  judges.  To  study  the  Constitution 
under  the  gaze  of  Marshall  himself,  or  peruse  the  doctrines  of 
equity  in  sight  of  the  compelling  countenance  of  their  creator 


Eldon,  cannot  but  give  one  a more  realizing  acquaintance  with 
those  great  judges  who  have  left  the  impress  of  their  personality 
upon  the  law. 

In  closing,  the  attention  of  the  alumni  is  again  called  to  the 
various  parts  of  these  collections  that  remain  to  be  completed. 
Only  through  the  active  and  generous  help  of  the  alumni  can  this 
be  done.  Of  all  who  may  read  this  account  the  special  request  is 
now  made  to  cooperate  with  the  School,  in  any  manner  that  may 
happen  to  be  within  their  power,  to  perfect  the  equipment  briefly 
described  herein. 


